Most of the time, people are stuck on life's crossroads. Should I
go here or there. Should I turn left or go right. Should I continue to walk or
should I stop and meander on the path for now. There's just too much questions.
Especially if you are coming of age. By that I mean, we young people are
undergoing the "growing up process". The older people would tell us
how important our choices would be because they would define the next chapters
of our lives. And maybe I'm into that right now. Or maybe I got past it. I
really don't know.

And then I got across an article from the Inquirer, Youngblood
column (http://opinion.inquirer.net/8077/not-to-worry).
The writer was kinda undecided with her life. The only thing that helps
her make sense of everything was the "Sunscreen Song" by Baz
Luhrmann. She quoted several lines. I got piqued so I googled it. I found out
that the song was a newspaper article first, written by Mary Schmich and
published on June 1, 1997 in the Chicago Tribune. Mr. Luhrmann bought the
rights of the article to turn it into a song. Eventually, it made its way
to mainstream radiowaves.

Well, I just thought I had to post the article. Here it is:

Wear sunscreen.

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would
be it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists,
whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering
experience. I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind. You will
not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded. But
trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a
way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous
you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine.

Don't worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is
as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The
real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried
mind, the kind that blindside you at 4 p.m. on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing every day that scares you.

Sing.

Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with
people who are reckless with yours. Floss.

Don't waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead,
sometimes you're behind. The race is long and, in the end, it's only with
yourself.

Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you
succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch.

Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your
life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to
do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still
don't.

Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees. You'll miss them
when they're gone.

Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it
or of what other people think of it. It's the greatest instrument you'll ever
own.

Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living
room.

Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.

Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel
ugly.

Get to know your parents. You never know when they'll be gone for
good. Be nice to your siblings. They're your best link to your past and the
people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you
should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle,
because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you
were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard.
Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you
soft.

Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths: Prices will rise. Politicians
will philander. You, too, will get old. And when you do, you'll fantasize that
when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and
children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust
fund. Maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one
might run out.

Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you're 40 it
will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who
supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the
past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and
recycling it for more than it's worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen.

I'm not yet 22, but I'm nearing it. And I still haven't mapped out
my whole future. I'm not really a planner, you know. But I do dream of
something. I'm just a bit undecided. No fickle-minded. No really, I'm still
trying to weigh my options. All I know is that I'm enjoying my life right now
and I'm thanking God for everything He puts in my way.

Someday, I'll be able to figure things out but I guess I'll settle
on buying a sunscreen for now.